31 May 2020, UPDATE

Day of Romanians Abroad celebrated on last Sunday in May./ Coronavirus restrictions to be further eased on 1st June in Romania.

Newsroom, 31.05.2020, 19:30

Celebration.
The Day of Romanians Abroad was celebrated on Sunday. President Klaus Iohannis
said in a special message that building together the prosperous and safe
Romania we want needs all Romanians, both those who live in Romania and
abroad. Every Romanian is an ambassador, in the country where he and she lives,
of our traditions, culture and customs and the creativity of the Romanian
spirit, the president also said. Prime minister Ludovic Orban said that
wherever they are, the communities of Romanians abroad are an integral part of the Romanian
nation, while the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu emphasised that protecting
and respecting the rights, best interest, dignity and future of the Romanians
who live abroad is a priority of the foreign ministry. The National Opera in
Bucharest marked the day through a special event: the online broadcast of
the ballet performance of The Swan Lake. The last Sunday in May was declared the
Day of Romanians Abroad in 2005.

Relaxation. The restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19
are further eased as of 1st June in Romania. People will now be able
to travel out of town without signing a declaration in advance stating the
purpose and destination of their trip. Outdoor cafes and beeches will reopen
provided physical distancing conditions are met. Outdoor performances with a
maximum of 500 spectators will also be allowed, as well as some outdoor sports
competitions without a public. International rail and road travel will resume.
Shopping centres, schools, nursery schools and playground areas remain closed.
Flights to and from certain EU and non-EU countries are still suspended. Wearing
a face mask is still obligatory in enclosed spaces, in shops, on public
transport and at work. People coming from abroad are still ordered to
quarantine or isolate at their home together with their families or the persons
they live with.

Coronavirus Romania. The Romanian health minster Nelu Tataru says Sunday saw
the lowest number of new coronavirus cases in 24 hours since the start of the
outbreak. We also have the lowest number of people in intensive care, namely
160, which shows we are on a downward trend, the minister also said. Romania
has had more than 19,250 confirmed coronavirus cases since the first infection
was reported three months ago. More than 13,250 people have recovered and 1,266
have died. The largest number of infections was reported in Suceava county, in
the north-east, and in the capital Bucharest. More than 3,000 coronavirus
infections were reported among the Romanians living abroad, mostly in Italy,
Germany and Spain, including 106 deaths.

Coronavirus world. Almost 370,000 people have died from Covid-19
globally since the virus was first reported in China last December and over 6 million
have been infected in 196 countries and
territories around the around, with at least 2 million and a half having
recovered. The number of confirmed cases does not, however, reflect the real
scale of infections. Some countries are only testing severe cases, others use
the tests mainly for tracing, and many poorer countries have limited testing
capacity. The United States, which saw its first coronavirus death at the
beginning of February, is the most affected country in the world, with over 100,000
deaths and 1.7 million infections. After the US, the worst hit countries are
the UK and Italy, with over 30,000 deaths, and Brazil and France, with over 20,000
deaths.

Fines. Five cabinet members have been fined by the Bucharest police
after being photographed without wearing face masks and with some of them smoking in an enclosed
public space. The photo was taken in a government office and features prime
minister Ludovic Orban, deputy prime minister Raluca Turcan and ministers
Lucian Bode, Virgil Popescu and Bogdan Aurescu. The government’s press office issued
a statement saying the prime minister has already paid two fines of around
1,200 euros and that he believes breaking the rules must be punished according to
the law irrespective of the identity of the person breaking the rules.

Arrest. The French police
have arrested a former member of the Foreign Legion of Romanian nationality
suspected of committing murder. Also wanted in Romania, he was hiding in a house in the French countryside. The 45-year-old man was also known for
threats and extortion through the use of violence and was suspected of shooting
someone dead on 9th March in Bacau, in eastern Romania. The French
police found the man after together with 30,000 euros and a gun similar to that
used in the shooting in Romania. (CM)